By Mark Neel
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
-Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park
As the ramifications of the new age of college football have unfolded, there are those, including me, who wonder if the changes that have come about are in the best interests of the game, the fans and, in the long run, even the players.
The ongoing saga of realignment has the unmistakable stench of planned obsolescence for all but the biggest of the boys. There will be no more rooting for the “little guy” as the arms race pushes to the side of the universities – and their fans – who don’t have the funding to keep up. Some might think, correctly, that even some of the little guys within the P5, now P4 or P2 or, dare we say, P1 conferences will be pushed out. NFL Lite anyone?
So, can the game afford the eventual loss of fan interest that comes with having only a baker’s dozen or so teams that have a realistic chance at a national championship each season? I’m afraid we’re going to find the answer is no. And the things that have made the sport so special for so long will wither.
That brings us to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) boom. What started out as a way for players to benefit from the university’s use of their NIL by being able to sell themselves to businesses and sponsors has become an unmitigated free-for-all in the buying and, in effect, selling of players. The idea of paying players was anathema to all who were involved in college sports not too long ago. Now it’s not necessarily how well you can recruit, but what’s your player acquisition budget. If you need funds to pay the next big thing, you tell the player you just paid last year to take a hike so you can use his money (“selling” of players).
More Sports News
This has led to situations such as high school quarterback Jaden Rashada committing to the University of Florida – for $13 million dollars. And then flipping to Arizona State – not because of his love for the school, coaching staff or facilities, but because Florida found that they couldn’t afford to pay what they committed to.
Or take the bizarre move by Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, who left the Crimson Tide for Iowa, made his money there, and flipped back to the Tide with his wallet full.
Commitment and allegiance have become dirty words. How long before that refers to the fans as well?
Anyone who has eyes to see can certainly agree that what is happening is not good for the game, even if we support some type of payment to the players or letting them seek out their own sponsors to make money selling their NIL.
The New World Order will benefit fewer and fewer universities as we move forward, so the need to keep up will be paramount.
By all accounts, one of the success stories of this new world of college football has been Coach Mike Norvell and his Florida State Seminoles. Since taking over what had become a woeful Seminoles program in 2019 (for the 2020 season), Norvell has sought to return the team to past glories and has used the portal to accelerate that process.
His focus was (and is) on finding great players that fit into the culture he was trying to create. The first impactful portal recruit to join the Seminoles was former Georgia defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the spring of 2021. Johnson went on to earn All-ACC honors and was a first-round pick of the New York Jets. Several more key contributors have followed, including recent first and second-round picks Jared Verse and Braden Fiske from smaller schools Albany and Western Michigan, and wide receiver Keon Coleman from Michigan State.
Has Norvell relied on the portal too much? I would say quality over quantity and culture fits would indicate the answer is no.
So, what about the culture, and the effect on high school recruiting? All things being equal in the Pay-for-Play wars (I refuse to call this aspect NIL), high school recruiting would tilt more towards the Seminoles from the SEC powers. Recruits rave about the culture that has been established at Florida State, and even money would undoubtedly lead more players their way.
The culture is set – and is important for many high school recruits. From a Tomahawk Nation article in January wrapping up the latest recruiting cycle: “Time and again, the recruits and families who chose FSU raved about their relationships with the coaches and staff members and the family atmosphere that Norvell has worked relentlessly to create.”
For the type of player that Norwell desires, the use of the portal does not affect decisions by HS recruits, because that type of player understands that FSU is building a program, and there is room in the program’s needs to be filled by both portal acquisitions and high school recruits.
In this New World Order that has been thrown upon us, where the powers that be have been freed to do what they can, no one seems to be slowing down long enough to “stop to think if they should”. So far, no one seems to have done a better job of navigating this IED-filled terrain than Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles.
